On Tuesday night, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-acquire-isaac-howard-tampa-bay-lightning-sam-oreilly">the Edmonton Oilers acquired Isaac Howard</a> (31st pick in 2022) from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sam O’Reilly (32nd pick in 2024) and promptly signed the newly acquired winger to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Howard is an offensive winger, a very good shooter who projects to be a top-six complementary winger. O’Reilly is expected to be a solid two-way, third-line centre on the third line. The trade fills a need for both teams, and only time will tell to see if it does or if the deal benefits one team more.

Howard won the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/scouting-report-isaac-howard-newest-edmonton-oilers-forward">Hobey Baker as top hockey player in the NCAA last season</a>, scoring 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games at Michigan State University. Recent winners of the Hobey Baker suggest that Howard has a good chance of being a solid NHL player.
<table id="sortableTable0" class="sortable autostripe">
<tbody>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2013-14</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=130893">Johnny Gaudreau</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2014-15</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=158169">Jack Eichel</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2015-16</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=155338">Jimmy Vesey</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2016-17</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=132666">Will Butcher</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2017-18</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=177644">Adam Gaudette</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2018-19</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=178719">Cale Makar</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2019-20</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=193752">Scott Perunovich</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2020-21</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=209488">Cole Caufield</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2021-22</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=176516">Dryden McKay</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2022-23</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=238272">Adam Fantilli</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2023-24</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=261744">Macklin Celebrini</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2024-25</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=238276">Isaac Howard</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Johnny Gaudreau scored 64 points as a rookie after winning. Gaudreau had eight 60+ point seasons, including 115 in 2022 before his sudden passing last summer.
Jack Eichel scored 56 points with the Sabres. Eichel has scored 20+ goals eight times and produced 94 points this past season with Vegas.
Jimmy Vesey had 16 goals and 37 points. His best season was 17 goals and 35 points. He just finished his ninth NHL season.
Will Butcher had 44 points as a rookie defenceman with New Jersey. He played five years in the NHL.
Adam Gaudette had five goals and 12 points in 56 games as a rookie with Vancouver. He&#8217;s played 301 NHL games in parts of seven NHL seasons.
Cale Makar had 50 points in 57 games as a rookie D-man with Colorado. He&#8217;s won two Norris Trophies, the Calder and the Conn Smythe.
Scott Perunovich didn&#8217;t play in the 2020-21 season due to injury. He&#8217;s played 108 games with the Blues and Islanders over the past four seasons.
Cole Caufield had 23 goals and 43 points as a rookie in 2022 with Montreal. Scored a career high 37 goals and 70 points this past season, his fourth in the NHL.
Dryden McKay has spent three seasons in the ECHL as a goalie. He was undrafted and has yet to find much success at the pro level.
Adam Fantilli had 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games as a rookie in 2024. He erupted with 31 goals and 54 points last year with Columbus.
Macklin Celebrini had 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games as a rookie with San Jose this past season.
Howard, like Gaudreau, won the Hobey in his 20-year-old season, while Eichel, Makar, Caufield, Fantilli and Celebrini were 18 or 19. Howard had an extra season to get stronger, and that should help him as he will try to make the jump to the NHL this year. **Edit added after** I should add that outside of Gaudreau and Vesey, none of the other forwards played on teams who made the playoffs.**
Howard couldn&#8217;t ask for a better fit than Edmonton. He could get an opportunity to play with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl this season. He&#8217;s a shooter, and they are the two best passing centres in the NHL. Howard, like most offensive shooters, will need to improve his play away from the puck. McDavid and Draisaitl will demand it, so that part of his game will need to be solid to remain in the top-six.
Suddenly, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/three-things-edmonton-oilers-could-still-do-off-season">the Oilers</a> have lots of competition for roster spots and playing time.
<hr />
<figure id="attachment_177951" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-177951" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-177951" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_25338821_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers forward Andrew Mangiapane" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_25338821_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_25338821_168383996_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_25338821_168383996_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_25338821_168383996_lowres.jpg 1443w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-177951" class="wp-caption-text">Feb 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) scores a goal on Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
<hr />
McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Adam Henrique, Trent Frederic, Andrew Mangipane, Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen, David Tomasek, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/could-matt-savoie-be-the-oilers-version-of-jake-guentzel">Matt Savoie</a>, and Howard are the players in the mix to play top-nine minutes. The first seven names are likely locks to play there, so Podkolzin, Kapanen, Tomasek, Savoie and Howard will battle for the final two spots.
I&#8217;d be surprised if Savoie or Howard start the season on the fourth line, so they will either be in the top-nine or in Bakersfield. Throw in Mattias Janmark, Noah Philp, Curtis Lazar, and Max Jones into the conversation for fourth-line roles, and regular spots in the lineup will be hotly contested. The Oilers have those 16 forwards available for 14 roster spots (or maybe only 13 forward spots so that the team can accrue cap space ahead of the trade deadline).
The Oilers needed to add some skilled top-six forwards to their organization. They&#8217;ve traded Ryan McLeod and Sam O&#8217;Reilly for Savoie and Howard in the past 13 months. McLeod is a legit NHL player. He had a career year in Buffalo, scoring 20 goals and 53 points last year and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/nhl-news-buffalo-sabres-sign-ryan-mcleod-four-year-contract-extension">earned himself a new four-year contract with a $5M AAV</a>. He wasn&#8217;t going to get the same offensive minutes in Edmonton playing behind Draisaitl and McDavid.
Savoie had a really good 20-year-old rookie campaign in the AHL last year, producing 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games, including 28 points in his final 30 games. He and Howard were both drafted in the first round in 2022. Savoie is a right-shooter while Howard shoots left. Is it realistic to think both will play regularly in the top-six this season? Doubtful, but you could see both in the top-nine at various times.
Like any trade, there is some risk, and it isn’t just about this coming year. This is a long-term deal with both players involved in the trade being 21 and 19 years old.
Howard gives the Oilers some needed skill, but he, along with Savoie and Mangiapane, aren’t overly big. Howard is thick at 200 pounds, but the Oilers are in the midst of their “Cup Contender” era, and size is a factor in the playoffs. Could you win with all three in your top-nine? Maybe, but it is something GM Stan Bowman and the team will have to monitor.
Howard will get every chance to show he can play in pre-season. Unless he really looks out of place, I&#8217;d expect he will start the season in Edmonton, and then his performance will determine how much he plays. He&#8217;s highly talented, and the Oilers need wingers who can produce more than the top-six wingers not named Zach Hyman did last year at 5&#215;5 alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.
Howard and Savoie couldn&#8217;t ask for a better situation based on their styles of play. They will have an opportunity to line up alongside two of the top-three centres in the NHL, without having the pressure of being expected to drive a line or carry the offence by themselves.
It will be fascinating to see how they perform.

On Tuesday night, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-acquire-isaac-howard-tampa-bay-lightning-sam-oreilly">the Edmonton Oilers acquired Isaac Howard</a> (31st pick in 2022) from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sam O’Reilly (32nd pick in 2024) and promptly signed the newly acquired winger to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Howard is an offensive winger, a very good shooter who projects to be a top-six complementary winger. O’Reilly is expected to be a solid two-way, third-line centre on the third line. The trade fills a need for both teams, and only time will tell to see if it does or if the deal benefits one team more.



Howard won the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/scouting-report-isaac-howard-newest-edmonton-oilers-forward">Hobey Baker as top hockey player in the NCAA last season</a>, scoring 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games at Michigan State University. Recent winners of the Hobey Baker suggest that Howard has a good chance of being a solid NHL player.
<table id="sortableTable0" class="sortable autostripe">
<tbody>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2013-14</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=130893">Johnny Gaudreau</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2014-15</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=158169">Jack Eichel</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2015-16</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=155338">Jimmy Vesey</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2016-17</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=132666">Will Butcher</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2017-18</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=177644">Adam Gaudette</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2018-19</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=178719">Cale Makar</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2019-20</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=193752">Scott Perunovich</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2020-21</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=209488">Cole Caufield</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2021-22</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=176516">Dryden McKay</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2022-23</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=238272">Adam Fantilli</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class=" odd">
<td>2023-24</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=261744">Macklin Celebrini</a></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="">
<td>2024-25</td>
<td><a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=238276">Isaac Howard</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Johnny Gaudreau scored 64 points as a rookie after winning. Gaudreau had eight 60+ point seasons, including 115 in 2022 before his sudden passing last summer.

Jack Eichel scored 56 points with the Sabres. Eichel has scored 20+ goals eight times and produced 94 points this past season with Vegas.

Jimmy Vesey had 16 goals and 37 points. His best season was 17 goals and 35 points. He just finished his ninth NHL season.

Will Butcher had 44 points as a rookie defenceman with New Jersey. He played five years in the NHL.

Adam Gaudette had five goals and 12 points in 56 games as a rookie with Vancouver. He's played 301 NHL games in parts of seven NHL seasons.

Cale Makar had 50 points in 57 games as a rookie D-man with Colorado. He's won two Norris Trophies, the Calder and the Conn Smythe.

Scott Perunovich didn't play in the 2020-21 season due to injury. He's played 108 games with the Blues and Islanders over the past four seasons.

Cole Caufield had 23 goals and 43 points as a rookie in 2022 with Montreal. Scored a career high 37 goals and 70 points this past season, his fourth in the NHL.

Dryden McKay has spent three seasons in the ECHL as a goalie. He was undrafted and has yet to find much success at the pro level.

Adam Fantilli had 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games as a rookie in 2024. He erupted with 31 goals and 54 points last year with Columbus.

Macklin Celebrini had 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games as a rookie with San Jose this past season.

Howard, like Gaudreau, won the Hobey in his 20-year-old season, while Eichel, Makar, Caufield, Fantilli and Celebrini were 18 or 19. Howard had an extra season to get stronger, and that should help him as he will try to make the jump to the NHL this year. **Edit added after** I should add that outside of Gaudreau and Vesey, none of the other forwards played on teams who made the playoffs.**

Howard couldn't ask for a better fit than Edmonton. He could get an opportunity to play with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl this season. He's a shooter, and they are the two best passing centres in the NHL. Howard, like most offensive shooters, will need to improve his play away from the puck. McDavid and Draisaitl will demand it, so that part of his game will need to be solid to remain in the top-six.

Suddenly, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/three-things-edmonton-oilers-could-still-do-off-season">the Oilers</a> have lots of competition for roster spots and playing time.

<hr />

[caption id="attachment_177951" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-177951" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_25338821_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers forward Andrew Mangiapane" width="1024" height="683" /> Feb 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) scores a goal on Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images[/caption]

<hr />

McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Adam Henrique, Trent Frederic, Andrew Mangipane, Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen, David Tomasek, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/could-matt-savoie-be-the-oilers-version-of-jake-guentzel">Matt Savoie</a>, and Howard are the players in the mix to play top-nine minutes. The first seven names are likely locks to play there, so Podkolzin, Kapanen, Tomasek, Savoie and Howard will battle for the final two spots.

I'd be surprised if Savoie or Howard start the season on the fourth line, so they will either be in the top-nine or in Bakersfield. Throw in Mattias Janmark, Noah Philp, Curtis Lazar, and Max Jones into the conversation for fourth-line roles, and regular spots in the lineup will be hotly contested. The Oilers have those 16 forwards available for 14 roster spots (or maybe only 13 forward spots so that the team can accrue cap space ahead of the trade deadline).

The Oilers needed to add some skilled top-six forwards to their organization. They've traded Ryan McLeod and Sam O'Reilly for Savoie and Howard in the past 13 months. McLeod is a legit NHL player. He had a career year in Buffalo, scoring 20 goals and 53 points last year and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/nhl-news-buffalo-sabres-sign-ryan-mcleod-four-year-contract-extension">earned himself a new four-year contract with a $5M AAV</a>. He wasn't going to get the same offensive minutes in Edmonton playing behind Draisaitl and McDavid.

Savoie had a really good 20-year-old rookie campaign in the AHL last year, producing 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games, including 28 points in his final 30 games. He and Howard were both drafted in the first round in 2022. Savoie is a right-shooter while Howard shoots left. Is it realistic to think both will play regularly in the top-six this season? Doubtful, but you could see both in the top-nine at various times.

Like any trade, there is some risk, and it isn’t just about this coming year. This is a long-term deal with both players involved in the trade being 21 and 19 years old.

Howard gives the Oilers some needed skill, but he, along with Savoie and Mangiapane, aren’t overly big. Howard is thick at 200 pounds, but the Oilers are in the midst of their “Cup Contender” era, and size is a factor in the playoffs. Could you win with all three in your top-nine? Maybe, but it is something GM Stan Bowman and the team will have to monitor.

Howard will get every chance to show he can play in pre-season. Unless he really looks out of place, I'd expect he will start the season in Edmonton, and then his performance will determine how much he plays. He's highly talented, and the Oilers need wingers who can produce more than the top-six wingers not named Zach Hyman did last year at 5x5 alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.

Howard and Savoie couldn't ask for a better situation based on their styles of play. They will have an opportunity to line up alongside two of the top-three centres in the NHL, without having the pressure of being expected to drive a line or carry the offence by themselves.

It will be fascinating to see how they perform.

Where Isaac Howard fits, competition for playing time on the Oilers, and more

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